Bilingualism English/Hungarian what to expect?

[purpleflower]

Hi, I am English and my partner is Hungarian. We have a 6 month DS who we would like to be able to speak both languages.
We both speak English at home as I don't speak Hungarian but DP speaks Hungarian to him when it is just them. We have also asked DP's family to only speak to him in Hungarian, but again when I am around they speak English. My friends think that I should learn Hungarian to help DS but Im not sure if it will help.
Are there any suggestions on how we should do this please?

( sorry if this makes no sense am trying to get DS to sleep )

from what I read around the time my eldest was at that stage, the key is rock-solid consisternt one-language-per-adult-to-the-kids policy.

It makes for the odd raised eyebrow when I'm speaking in fluent english, then turn to Dd and speak my mother tongue, but otherwise they won't believe in it as a real language, and will get confused.

In your case it would mean your dh and his family always addressing the kids in hungarian. Obviously switching to english to speak to you directly.

Be aware that it's hard work to maintain it at times - but ever so cute when they start speaking two languages - and apparently makes them smarter.

Thank you, It does sound really hard but I really want him to have something to share with DP's family. I was also wondering if it is worth trying to find somewhere for him to have lessons when he is older so he can read and write aswell as speak Hungarian?

that's a long way in the future.

practical steps you can take now are

1. stock up on hungarian language materials (kids dvds, kids vids, sond tapes/cds, song books, story books, language toys, kids mags - anything you can find)

2. hunt down people with kids roughly dimilar age who speak hungarian

Thank you for taking the time to answer my questions. I am just so unsure about all of this. Is it posible that DS will speak later than average?
Unfortunatly the only Hungarians I know are DP's family so that is not an option. I'm going to get DP to ask his friends to send some DVD's etc.

Thank you again.

Hi, it might well be that your ds will start speaking later than "average", but does not have to happen necessarily. DD (raised bilingually German/English) started speaking with about 9 - 10 months so wasn't delayed at all. Good luck!

Agree that the consistent use of the one parent one language approach works very well - we are raising our two DCs in German/English and both speak both languages very well.

Your DP should ALWAYS address your ds in Hungarian otherwise he may not see a 'need' to speak back in Hungarian, as children generally choose the path of least resistance (i.e. English in that case)....

And yes, the constant switching of languages (for me, as I speak to them in German and English to DH) can be tiresome at times, but then I think of the long term benefits...

Perhaps you could also get some Hungarian books and dvds for your ds?

All good advice here.
I speak as a speech and language therapist brought up speaking Welsh and English in Papua New Guinea.
My mother didn't speak Welsh (although she has since learnt) and I spent the first 18 years of my life with only my father to speak Welsh to.

However I now live an almost totally Welsh medium life and do most of my professional work through the medium of Welsh.

Best of luck.Giving your child access to both/all of their mother tongues is a wonderful gift.

Hello Kif.
What is your mother tongue then?

Russian - though in my current sleep deprived state I'm really struggling with any coherent language at all! I've taken to putting on russian podcasts istead of radio - cos my brain is fried with juggling the two simultaneously.

Oh tamam I remember now!
We talked before.

tamam?

Sorry,that was Turkish!
xarasho I meant.

polyglot showoff

Thank you all for your advice, was offline yesterday ill.
Have spoken to DP and have asked him to ask friends to send us some books and DVDs. Will have to speak to DPs family again about only using hungarian for him.
Thank you again will show this to DP tonight.